Reimbursement: Recent Legal and Marketplace Issues

Wrap up this year with an essential discussion of current events to predict next year’s focus on telemental health and online therapy. This month’s guest will be Tania S. Malik, J.D., Founder and President of COPEtoday. As Dr. Maheu’s guest, she will discuss the rapidly changing legal and marketplace issues related to increasing access to mental health via technology.

In particular, we will be reviewing the nationwide repercussion of various legal changes, including the new California Telehealth Advancement Act of 2011; changes in CPT codes for counseling through telehealth and pivotal corporate shifts in how mental health care will be approached in the United States.

This discussion will focus on recent events in California law, Medicare & marketplace shifts to address:

reimburseable forms of telehealth

the future of home-based care with the elimination of the “in-person” requirement for intakes

reducing certification requirements for practitioners

the role of iPhone and other smartphones in the healthcare marketplace

HIPAA-compliance & the use of Skype

added value services for platforms that serve as alternatives to Skype

possible repercussions of Wal-mart’s plans to be the biggest primary care provider in the U.S.

Rate this post!

Marlene M. Maheu, PhD has been a technologist-psychologist and pioneer since 1994. She has served various organizations to assist with the development of technology-focused standards and guidelines, including the American Telemedicine Association, the American Psychological Association and the American Counseling Association. She has overseen the development and delivery of telehealth training to more than 36,000 professionals from more than 83 countries worldwide. She has consulted with hundreds of hospitals, clinics, agencies, groups and independent practitioners seeking start-up guidance.